DS just turned 4 and has eczema that ranges from mild to moderate. I moisturize, then use a topical steroid on the bad sections if necessary. He is usually itchy somewhere or another most of the time.

When he has food-related reactions, it's usually hives on the face/neck and sometimes vomiting, swelling (on eyes where he rubbed them with nut residue hands, etc).

This morning I brought him to a gymnastics class, and I noticed he was scratching his neck more than normal, and upon closer inspection, it was worse and more 'hive-like' than his usual eczema. When we got home, I put some steroid cream on it, and it went away.

Tonight, he woke at 11.30pm crying and scratching his legs. It looked and felt like hives on the back of the knees. He didn't want to take benadryl and has now fallen back to sleep, but I'm wondering if it's a food related thing (knees are an unusual place for food related reactions for us), or ?? He didn't eat anything new or different today. No new creams, laundry detergent, soaps, etc.

We started swim lessons 2 weeks ago and I think it has exacerbated the eczema on the arms/legs, but the hives are different from the chlorine irritation. Minimal sunscreen applied these last few days, but he hasn't reacted to it so far this summer. And it has been hotter than normal for us - into the 30s, although today was cooler.

In general I don't have eczema, but in high school in hot weather I used to have a big red rash break out on the back of my knees - seemed to be a combo of nylon clothing, sweat and weekly sessions in a chlorinated swimming pool. It really hurt - intense stinging. It might have taken a year before it totally disappeared.

Hmmm - that does sound similar, and he did say his legs hurt instead of saying they were itchy. We are pretty careful with not wearing synthetic clothing, except for his swimming shorts and sun suit, but that makes sense with the heat and chlorine. Did you use steroid creams or was there something else that worked? Thanks ginger.

The pool we are going to uses ozone, so already less chlorine than some other pools, and of course I bathe them right away when we get home (they don't like washing their hair with a shower nozzle). I think there are a couple of outdoor pools that use ocean water at the beginning of summer, but they also chlorinate as needed, and I think the closest one's a good 35-40 min drive away. I'm wondering how else to have my kids learn to swim except hiring a private instructor and taking lessons at a lake or ocean. . .

DD seems to get the same thing, on the back of her neck and the back of her knees. It usually lasts for a few weeks with her, and it's more a heat/sweat rash. Honestly, if it seems to bother her I just try to put a cool wet cloth on the spot.. I've also used Benadryl with limited success and a hydrocortisone cream (OTC). The best thing is to keep the area cool and try to let it air out as much as possible. I usually let her go shirtless when home, so the area isn't irritated by the neckline. BTW, she gets it without going in a chlorine pool. We hadn't been to a pool for months before she got it the last time..

Thanks gertie girl - I do think it was heat-related. It was much hotter here than it normally is, and thankfully, it's cooled down now.

We're going to finish this set of swim lessons, as there are only 2 classes left, and just make sure we wash with soap really well immediately after the lesson and hope that makes a difference. This instructor is really good, and they are having fun, so it would be a shame not to get the certificate in the end and have them re-do this level (even though it's only the 1st level!).

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